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Lipton was born in New York City, the daughter of Rita Hetty (née Benson), an artist, and Harold Lipton, a corporate lawyer.[1] Her paternal grandparents were Russian Jews and her Dublin-born mother was also Jewish, descended from Eastern European immigrants.[2] Lipton was raised in Lawrence, Nassau County, New York on Long Island with her brothers, Robert, an actor, and Kenneth. She attended Lawrence Junior High School and the Professional Children’s School.[3]

Lipton signed with the Ford Modeling Agency and enjoyed a successful career.[4] In 1964 her family moved to Los Angeles and she signed a contract with Universal Pictures the same year. She made her debut as a student at a private girls’ academy in San Francisco in the NBC sitcom The John Forsythe Show (1965–1966). In 1967, Lipton appeared in the series finale, “Elizabeth’s Odyssey”, of NBC’s western series The Road West starring Barry Sullivan and Kathryn Hays.Lipton’s star rose on The Mod Squad in 1968, and the show was a runaway hit until 1973. Her performance on the show earned her four Golden Globe nominations during her tenure. In 1971, Lipton won a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best TV Actress in a Drama. Lipton also enjoyed some success as a singer, with three of her singles landing on the Billboard Charts: “Stoney End” (1968, later successfully covered by Barbra Streisand and “Lu” (1970), both compositions by Laura Nyro), and “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” (1970) written by Donovan. “Stoney End” is also included in her only 1968 album PEGGY LIPTON (Ode Records), which has yet to be released on CD. In the 1990s, Lipton returned to acting and joined the cast of David Lynch‘s television series Twin Peaks. Lipton also had a recurring role on the TV show Popular.

Spiritually curious, Lipton explored several religions including Hinduism and Scientology.[citation needed] She dated Elvis Presley for a while, but their relationship reportedly ended after she tried to convince Elvis to join the Church of Scientology (which he regarded as a scam).[citation needed]In 1974, Lipton married Quincy Jones and began a self-imposed hiatus from acting in order to devote herself to their growing family.[citation needed] The couple had two children: Kidada Jones, a fashion stylist, and Rashida Jones, an actress. They amicably divorced in 1990 and remain close friends. In 2001, she collaborated with Jones on Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.

In 2004, Lipton was diagnosed with colon cancer. She has undergone treatment and she has had a proctocolectomy and appears to be in remission. During her year-long treatment, anonymous sources informed the New York Post, she may have been supplied with 24-hour chauffeured car service at the expense of the state of New York, according to the same story in the New York Post (November 25, 2006 edition). The car, which the unnamed sources said reportedly took Lipton to chemotherapy appointments as well as on personal errands, is suspected to have been supplied by Jack Chartier, reportedly a close friend of Lipton’s as well as a staffer for Alan Hevesi, the former New York State Comptroller, who was forced to resign due to a similar ethics investigation. Lipton “is not accused of any wrongdoing,” the story added. The situation was being investigated by the Albany County, New York District Attorney for possible ethics violations. As the New York Post reported, “David Neustadt, a spokesman for the comptroller’s office, yesterday wouldn’t comment on the investigation or answer whether Chartier has repaid the state any money for the Lipton driver.”[5]

In 2005, she published her memoir Breathing Out, in which she revealed she had a tryst with Paul McCartney before finding fame on The Mod Squad.[citation needed]

^“‘Bored? Creatively I’m Bored, But…'”, The New York Times, March 19, 1972. Accessed September 15, 2008. “The girl from uptight Lawrence, L. I., was now cool, worldly; Peggy Lipton had become, in the stone-age language of the sixties, a groovy chick, and Mod Squad had found its Julie.”